Voice behavior and work engagement: the moderating role of supervisor-attributed motives Jen-Wei Cheng National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Kuo-Ming Lu National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Yi-Ying Chang National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Steward Johnstone Loughborough University, United Kingdom Understanding employee voice behavior is a crucial aspect of organizing for high performance. In this paper, we extend previous studies and examine the consequences of voice behavior and boundary conditions of supervisor-attributed motives. Data for the sample was collected from 206 supervisor– subordinate pairs from a variety of companies in Taiwan. Hierarchal regression analysis was performed to test our model. The results show that voice behavior was positively related to leader– member exchange (LMX), and LMX was positively associated with work engagement. Supervisor- attributed motives moderate the relationship between voice behavior and LMX. Specifically, voice behavior may more strongly influence LMX when supervisors label voice behavior as being more prosocial and less motivated by impression management. Keywords: leader–member exchange, supervisor-attributed impression management, supervisor-attributed prosocial motives, voice behavior, work engagement Issues of employee voice have become central to contemporary debates in HRM and two perspectives generally underpin these. On the one hand is the view that a business case for voice exists. The suggestion is that successful organizations are increasingly seeking to Correspondence: Dr Yi-Ying Chang, Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Keelung Road, Section 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan; e-mail: y.chang@mail.ntust.edu.tw Accepted for publication 9 February 2012. Key points 1 LMX mediates the relationship between voice behavior and work engagement. 2 Supervisor attribution of prosocial motives moderates the relationship between voice behavior and LMX quality. 3 Supervisor attribution of impression management motives moderates the relation- ship between voice behavior and LMX quality. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources (2013) 51, 81–102 doi:10.1111/j.1744-7941.2012.00030.x © 2012 Australian Human Resources Institute